Oscar Piastri recorded the fastest lap at the Miami Grand Prix but did not receive the extra World Championship point for it because he finished 13th, outside the top 10, a requirement to qualify for that point.
Highlights
– ‣ In the Miami Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri recorded the fastest race lap but did not receive the extra World Championship point usually awarded for this achievement because he finished outside the top 10.
– ‣ The rules require a driver to finish among the first 10 to qualify for the extra point for the fastest lap, leading to the first instance this season where no additional point was awarded for the fastest race lap.
– ‣ Piastri’s fastest lap time was 1:30.634 on Lap 43, which remained unmatched for the rest of the race.
– ‣ After an incident with Carlos Sainz, which resulted in the need for a new front wing, Piastri finished 13th at the Miami International Autodrome, despite being on course for a better finish.
At every Grand Prix, a total of 102 points scatter across the board. Out of these, 101 points eagerly await the top ten finishers. Plus, there’s this cherry on top: an extra point for the fastest lap. But, plot twist in Miami – that point stayed in the judges’ pocket, even though Oscar Piastri was lightning fast.
Piastri? Oh, he nailed a lap time of 1:30.634 on the 43rd lap. No one could catch up after that. Yet, the McLaren speedster didn’t snag the extra World Championship point. Why, you ask? Well, there’s this rule. It insists that to pocket that point, you gotta be in the top 10. Tough luck, right?
This was a premiere in the season – a fastest lap without the bonus point. Before this, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Fernando Alonso had all bagged points for their speedy feats in Bahrain, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and China. They made it look easy.
### No points after fighting with Sainz
Then there’s the Miami International Autodrome saga. Piastri, only 23, was doing pretty well. That is, until he tangoed with Carlos Sainz. A new front wing later and a penalty for Sainz, Piastri found himself in 13th place. So close, yet so far from that elusive top 10.
